搜寻留言板

Hi! My name is John Doe. if you
are learning English and have a question, you can try to find
the answer here. You can also ask us, and we usually come and
answer questions once a week. Many answers are read aloud in
an mp3 file. So it is another good opportunity for you to
practice listening!

(Note: At this time we can only
reply you here and not by email. Sorry!)

Hi, Candy,It is very common to have "stage fright". Even famous public speakers and actors experience that. I have found that it is helpful if I think about speaking to certain people in the audience who are my friends. Then I can relax and concentrate on tell them the story. I hope this helps.

Hi,以琳,For someone who does not grow up with English but acquires it after age 12, it is generally not easy to get rid of one's accent. But it is not impossible. Speaking it more with native speakers will be very helpful. If you don't have that environment, then you need to think of ways to create such an environment for yourself, or a "virtual environment" in which you listen to English a lot.

我有句英语句子不会翻译 Ｄo you know his difficult he has in keeping four children at school

A

Hi, Holly Bule,You should give it a try and I can help you correct your translated sentence. If you don't understand what "keeping four children at school" means, here is an explanation: more likely, it means having enough money to pay for the educational expenses of four children. By the way, your original sentence has some mistakes in it.

Dear John,I'm so happy finding this website to learn English. Would you please suggest the editor to add more mp3 files of English for us? So that I can listen these English materials again and again anywhere and anytime I am free.Thank you very much.

A

Hi, Angel,I'm glad you find our material useful. Yes, our team is working hard at finding and producing more mp3 files for English learners. Please help us by telling your friends. You can also tell them by sending an ecard, and tell them about our screensavers.

"There are such things as express trains, express mail, and express lunches." I am not accustomed to say "There are such things as..." I could only say 々There are things such as...—Now I have a question: Is the phrase "There are such things as..." more beautiful saying? Can I get better marks while I am in oral test by using "There're such things as..." ? Thank you for your teaching.

A

Hi, Rosa,Actually the two are slightly different.

Bob: We missed the bus. We are going to be late! Bill: There are such things as taxies!

Bill is saying that they can just take a taxi and therefore will not be late. He said it in such a way as if Bob had never heard of taxies. It is a somewhat humorous way of saying it. "There are things such as taxies" does not quite mean the same.

"Things such as scissors, knives, and pins should be kept away from infants."

Dear John Doe teacher, are you a foreigner,i am a university student,my English is very bad,now i want to learn it well,but i have no the good learning environment.and i don't know how to practise my spoken english.could you tell me how i should do?

A

Hi,王静,It is hard when you don't have the environment. But one thing that you can do is to listen to conversation recordings and follow along. We hope to make available some in future.

你好！我是一个高中生，我现在的口语水平还可以，基本对话没有什么问题，我也非常乐意开口说英语。但是，我还远远没有达到自己希望的水平"think in English"您说，在英语环境中需要6个月才能达到这水平。我想请问，如果不在这种环境中，我每天应用多少时间才能在8个月中达到这种水平？我怎样做才是最有效的呢？

A

Hi, Corn,I am not quite sure. But I think if you spend 4 hours a day to listen and speak in English, perhaps you can start thinking in English after a year. I think the first step is to be able to associate objects with their English names. In other words, when you see an object, you need to be able to say what it is in English without having to think of its Chinese name first. So I would suggest working on this step first.

Hi, Gress,If you know every word that your teacher reads, then you can think about how you can improve the sentence. Or you can think of other ways of saying the same thing, or all the synonyms of some of the words.

Hi, 林月儿,Perhaps you don't know your material well enough so that when you are taking the exam, you have to think about the answer because you are not sure. Or maybe you are careless. If it is the former, then it will be good to listen more so that you can remember what it sounds like even when you are under stress.

i love you ,teacheri first come here ,very good i like english,i like make my english better

A

Welcome, Watson, and thank you!

- John

2004.09.01

Listening on Radio

Q

我用收音机怎么收听你们的节目(英语,我想练听力)呢?

A

Sorry, most of the material here is not broadcast on radio.

- John

Victor Delacraoix
2004.09.01

Word Not Found in Dictionary

Q

When i do practice English listening,what i should do?Just write after listening?if i can't find the new words in the dictionary ,how should i do?thank you for answering!!

A

Hi, Victor,When you practive English, you should try to understand what is said. If you can understand it, then you don't need to do anything. If you hear words you don't know and cannot find them in the dictionary, perhaps you spelt it wrong, in which case, you can try other ways of spelling it, or you can ask me here. Another possibility is that the dictionary is not advanced enough.

Hi John,Nice to meet you!I have some questions for my writing in english,i have no trouble in reading,but i am not good enough in speaking.I am looking forward your help!

A

Hi, Teresa,Yes, speaking is always the hardest because you probably don't have the environment to listen and speak it all the time. So you must make use of every opportunity you have in doing those two.

Hi, 谭静怡,It must be frustrating. Do you listen to English much? I think it will help if you listen more.

- John

coco
2004.08.24

Translate?

Q

請問可不可以這句中文:

我認為用英語教學,將來對我們出外工作時,相當有用

A

Hi, Coco,I am not sure what you meant. Did you leave out the phrase "translate"?

- John

2004.08.23

Improving Spelling

Q

你好!我學了英語很久,但很容易記不起,或字母串錯, 我應樣改善!

A

Write more and read more!

- John

franky
2004.08.21

Using the Word "By"

Q

Can you tell me how to use the word of "by"?

A

Hi, Franky,There are too many uses. Please try using it in an example and I will tell you whether it is correct.

- John

lily
2004.08.20

Improving Your Spelling

Q

Dear John,I have studied English for two years,but I cannot speak and write Eglish without dictionary, I always mistake spelling,I wonder why I can remember the word's spelling

A

Hi, Lily,It sounds like you are depending on your dictionary too much. I think one thing that will help is to listen to yourself spell a word out. I think it will help you remember it better. Try it and let me know if it works.

- John

hellen
2004.08.20

Spelling

Q

good afternoon!my name is hellen,i can study english,but my spelling was worse.

A

Hi, Hellen,Try this: spell the word out and then say the word. e.g. afternoon.

"But it was Wright-Phillips who will grab the headlines, stealing the show in a low-key friendly at St James' Park. " I don't understand "stealing the show in a low-key friendly at St James' Park." Could you explain it in an easier sentence, please?

A

Hi, Wu Wu,
When someone who is not the main character or star of a drama, a play, or a movie, etc., has such a good performance that he gets more attention, he is described as "stealing the show". So in similar situations when someone other than the main star gets the attention, one can say that he steals the show.

"Beckham diverted in John Terry's cross after 28 minutes and Owen headed home a centre from the England captain five minutes afterEngland captain five minutes the interval. " I don't understand "Owen headed home a centre from the captain five minutes the interval. " could you explain it in an easier sentence, please?

A

Hi, Wu Wu,Usually in non-soccer talk, to "head home" means to start going home. But I am not sure what "Owen headed home a center from the England captain" means. The word "center" in basketball means the person playing the center position.

Beckham diverted in John Terry's cross after 28 minutes and Owen headed home a centre from the England captain five minutes after the interval. " I don't understand "Beckham diverted in John Terry's cross " could you explain it in an easier sentence, please?

A

Hi, Wu Wu,You got me there! I suspect that "to divert in someone's cross" is a soccer term but I don't know what it means.

"It sealed England's win, set up by goals from the new Real Madrid pairing of David Beckham and Michael Owen." I don't understand "It sealed England's win," could you explain it in an easier sentence, please?

A

Hi, Wu Wu,To "seal a win" means doing something that completes and makes sure that they will win, just like sealing a bottle or an envelope so that it cannot be opened.

"Manchester City's youngster, on as a substitute, crowned a solo run with a stunning finish after 71 minutes." I copied the above sentence from BBC SPORT. I don't understand "crowned a solo run with a stunning finish". Coulk you explain it in an easier sentence, please?

A

Hi, Wu Wu,To crown someone means to put a crown on someone. A "stunning finish" means an ending that is very surprising. So to "crown a solo run with a stunning finish" in soccer probably means that the player takes the ball all the way (i.e. solo run) and scores a goal. So the end of the "solo run" is surprising; and "crown" implies that he added more to the run and made it wonderful, better; hence implying that he scored a goal. (That would be my guess, not being a soccer fan.)

" And the visitors squandered another early opportunity when Andriy Shevchenko set up Ruslan Rotan, but he side-footed wastefully over the top. " I don't understand "Andriy Shevchenko set up Ruslan Rotan, but he side-footed wastefully over the top." Especially I don't understand "set up " and "side-footed".Could you explain it in an easier sentence, please?

A

Hi, Wu Wu,In this case, to set somebody up means to pass him the ball at a place that he can shoot at the goal. According to my friend who plays soccer, To side-foot means to kick it with the side of one's foot rather that the toes.

"England made a sluggish start and survived a scare after only three minutes, when goalkeeper David James fumbled a drive from Oleg Husev and was fortunate not to be punished. " I don't understand "fumbled a drive from Oleg Husev " Could you explain it in an easier sentence, please?

A

Hi, Wu Wu,To fumble means not to catch or hold something in one's hand properly and as a result, the object (in this case, the ball) falls or almost falls.

The word "drive" in In this case means the ball being kicked straight toward something.

"England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson was delighted with the outcome after recent speculation surrounding his future. " I don't understand "after recent speculation surrounding his future." especially I don't understand "surrounding his future". Is "his future " means the teams future? could you explain it in an easier sentence, please?

A

Hi, Wu Wu,From what it says here, it seems to mean his future rather than the team's future. "Surrounding" here is similar to "about" or "related to".

Hi,合心,I am afraid that there is no quick and easy way to learn English unless you live in an English environment.

I believe that the best way to learn English grammar (after you have learned the very basic grammar like "go-went-gone", "I am", "he is", "they are", etc.) is to listen to English a lot, and to say it out loud.

I assume that by 阅读题, you meant comprehension. Comprehension actually requires both adequate vocabulary and a knowledge of grammar. So building up your vocabulary will help. Did you read my recommendation on how to build up your vocabulary?

Hi! Dear W and A,I appreciate English Easy programme, thank you so much for your teaching. When I speak English at my school, my English teacher always marks me 85-95% for my Speaking English. But I cannot follow your speaking. Would you mind slowing down a little bit, please? In fact, I am imitating your way of speaking English. You are very important person in my study. Thak you so much.

A

Hi, Wu Wu,I represent them to thank you for your message.

- John

Yu Jue
2004.08.12

Message for Wesley and Abby

Q

Hi! Mr W, Ms A,It was Tuesday yesterday. I listened to "English Easy" at night, and I got the related text as well. I enjoy "English Easy" as well as thank you very much. By the way, Mr W, would you mind speaking English slowly so that I can mimic your speaking? Thank you for your kindly attention.

A

Hi, Yu Jue,I represent Wesley and Abby and thank you for your message.

- John

wu wu
2004.08.10

Bussed to Safety

Q

"There was no violence during the match but afterwards Japan's small contingent of fans had to be bussed to safety as Chinese fans gathered outside Beijing's Workers' Stadium." Here I don't understand "had to be bussed to safety ". Did Japanese have to stay inside the stadium or they bussed to a safe place while Chinese fans gathered outside the stadium?

A

Hi, Wu Wu,The Japanese fans were transported away by bus to a place where they were safe.

- John

wu wu
2004.08.09

World War II

Q

"during World War II." How should we read out "war II"?Thank you for teaching.

"Defending champions Japan won the Asian Cup 3-1, but faced jeers from Chinese fans throughout the match." My questions is:1) How to read out loud "3-1" 2) What does "jeers" mean in Chinese?Thank you for teaching.

A

Hi, Wu Wu,Scores like "3-1" are generally read aloud as "three to one", or "three one".

hi1 I am atephen. i am a student in college, my major is english ,my qusetion is that how to improve my comprehensive ablity? how to make translation to be perfect?

A

Hi, Stephen,I assume that you are asking about improving your comprehension ability mainly related to tests. Since a lot of the comprehension passages used in tests deal with a variety of topics, you will need to have a good vocabulary and a good understanding of English.

To be perfect in doing translation takes a lot of effort because you have to be totally fluent in both languages to be "perfect". But to be able to do a good job, you just need to good at both languages.

Hi! Mr John Doe, when children are describing the spelling of "net", they say "n for nose, e for egg, t for tea..." and grown-up describe the spelling as"n for Nancy, e for Emily, t for Tom...". Grown-up are not that childish. I yearn for getting to know how grown-up describe from A to Z. Could you tell me, please?

A

Hi, Yu Jue,That is an interesting question. Here is a link to a list that pilots use to make it clear which letter of the alphbets they are talking about.

Hi, Zhengjiilan,Thank you for your question. I think you need to listen more.

- John

Wangyan
2004.08.05

Spelling

Q

Hi!John,I'm Wangyan.I'm so sorry that I always spelled your name in a wrong way brfore.That is I usually write it as "Jhon" but not "John".Sorry very much for this.-Wangyan

A

Hi, Wangyan,No problem! The name "John" does have a funny spelling.

- John

Yu Jue
2004.08.05

A Wave of Attacks

Q

"More than 100 suspected Islamic militants were killed on 28 April, after a wave of attacks in the four predominantly Muslim provinces in southern Thailand."I cannot translate "after a wave of attacks " into Chinese, could you help me, please?

A

Hi, Yu Jue,"A wave of" can perhaps be translated as "硈﹃".

- John

Lisa xiong
2004.08.05

Listening and Speaking

Q

I have studied English for about ten yeats,but I couldn't express myself in english ,although i often practing it .i don't know why ?Can you tell me how could I express my thoutht in fluent english?

A

Hi, Lisa,Listening and speaking English is very important in learning it. How often do you do the two?

Please tell me some tips or methods that how to improve my listening ability.(in details)

A

Hi, Susan,I believe repetition is key.

- John

Shelly
2004.08.04

Gerund

Q

我的问题是devote to practicing,devote to 后面的动词一定是动名词吗？还有请老师帮忙概括一些动词不定式后面的动词跟的一定是动名词的单词，谢谢。

A

Hi, Shelly,I am very poor in the Chinese names given to English grammatical terms. But I will attempt to answer.

A verb can be used as a noun when "ing" is attached to it. For example: 1. Running is not allowed.2. Talking with a mouthful is rude.3. Keeping a fire on will help you stay warm.4. I am used to going home late.5. He is committed to calling his wife every day.6. She is accustomed to being fed.

In order for me to understand your question clearly, can you ask your question in English?

Hi!Mr Jhon,Could you tell me the difference(s) between China's and Chinese?Thank you!-Wangyan

A

Hi, Wangyan,Interesting question. I assume that you would like to know the difference in usage.

In general China's means "that which belongs to China" (中国的). "Chinese" can mean a few different things as an adjective, but it mainly conveys the idea that something is related to China, or Chinese people.

For example: 1. Chinese food tastes good (中国菜好吃). (I should not say, "China's food taste good."2. China's economy is growing. OR The Chinese economy is growing. (Both mean the same thing.)3. It is a Chinese custom to serve tea to a guest. (You should not say, "It is China's custom to serve tea to a guest.")

So most of the time "China's" means 中国国家的. But the best way to learn is to hear more often how the two terms are used. Then you won't even have to think about it and just know which sounds right.

Dear Jhon:I don't why there are some strange signs at the top of some letters of words like "^" and "/" or others.Could you answer me?Thank you!

-Wangyan

A

Hi, Wangyan,I am not sure. What page were you talking about? I know that on the Bill's Island Adventure pages, there are some ^ marks because Adam has used a computer with Chinese Windows to write the files.

- John

orange
2004.07.30

Where to start

Q

John Doe 老师:Thank you for your help!我知道了,美国的50个洲各有各的方言,就好比我们湖南,只要大家都说标准的普通话就都能听懂.只是我虽然每天都听一会儿英语故事,但是我的学习方法不对,对于音标,语法,词态,还有要记单词等等,这些我完全都混淆了,我不知道具体要从哪一部开始学起,所以你要我在这里练习用英语提问,我想我还写不出一句完整的话来.我希望您能给我多提建议,并且请给我拟一个明确的计划(该从何处开始学起)???

A

Hi, Orange,Yes, you are right. Just like people from different provinces speaking Putonghua with an accent, people from different parts of US speak English with their accent, except that often times the accent is not obvious and others can understand them easily.

In order to help you, I will need to know your level of English first. But if you cannot write an English sentence, I would suggest that you start with very simple English first. Let me ask you a question: can you write a sentence to say我很饿?

John Doe:谢谢您回答了我的问题,我今天才看到你的回信,我很高兴.我现在每天坚持听一段时间的英语故事和短文.我也要努力让我自己开口读,但是有些单词根本就不会读.而且就算是英语也有各地方的方言啊?

A

Hi, Orange,I am glad to hear that you are practicing everyday. Listen to something over and over helps you to learn it. The mini-stories we have are best for that. It is true that the English in different places are slightly different. We try to just post American English material here. From what I have seen, the CET questions are mostly North American.

You should start writing questions in English here just to practice. At least a small paragraph each time.

Hello! Mr John Doe,When you have a minute, could you teach us "Weather Forecast" in English Easy, please?

A

Hi, Yu Jue,I don't think I know much about weather forecast! Thanks for the suggestion though.

- John

Ng Yiok
2004.07.24

Translation

Q

Hi! Mr John Doe,"Over a two-year period the smuggling ring is thought to have bought and sold 118 babies, many of them girls." Could I translate ' Over a two-year period ' as 筁ㄢ? And 'the smuggling ring' as ǐ╬绑?

A

Hi, Ng Yiok,Strictly speaking, "over a two-year period" would be "ㄢ丁" unless it is clear in the passage that it means in the past two years. Sorry, I don't know what 绑 means.

- John

Dana xing
2004.07.24

Improving Listening and Speaking Abilities

Q

DEAR John Doe teacher,Very glad to contact with you,I have been on my work about 3years,I worked in one foreigh trade company,and mainly takes charge in exporting.I can read ENLISH articles,but my listening ability and speaking ability is not well.When I receive a call from foreign customer,I always can not catch them well. And when I meet an foreign customer,I always can not express myself well.So can you kindly tell us how to improve my enlish listening ability and speaking ability.

A

Hi, Dana Xing,Listening on the phone is harder than listening to someone face to face because you don't have their facial expressions, gestures, and lips to read. So to get to a point that you are good at it, I would suggest that you get familiar with terms that your customers would use. Listen to those (on tape or on a computer) over and over until you are familiar with them. That should help. If you can make a list of those terms, send them to me and we will write some sentences with them and record them for everyone to use.

As for conversing with them face to face, it takes practice. We hope to make available business conversations some time.

Mr John Doe, RTHK is 翠筿 this I know, but I don't know its name completely, I guess 'HK'is Hong Kong; "R" is radio; and what does the "T" refer to? could you explain, please?

A

Hi, Wu Wu,The "T" in RTHK stands for Television.

- John

Wangyan
2004.07.22

Pronouncing "ts"

Q

Hi Mr Jhon:I'm a senior school student.I like English very much.This is the first time that I communicate with you. Recent days I meet some trouble of pronunciation.That is I don't know how to pronounce "costs,tasts,interests..."correctly.I feel very hard when I read this words.Could you help me?Thank you!

With fun with your job!

-Wangyan

A

Hi, Wangyan,Those are hard words to pronounce. In fact many native speakers from America just slur through them.

When I pronounce them clearly, this is what they sound like:1. You must get there at all costs.2. All the tests came back negative.3. What are your interests? (This one is usually pronounced without the "t" sound anyway.)

Then if I am not too concerned about being very specific, I would just pronounce them as if there is no "t" in them:1. You must get there at all costs.2. All the tests came back negative.

Hi, Cendy,The first step is to listen more. So you should listen to our stories. Choose one that you like and listen to it many times as you read along. Then read it out aloud also. Let me know how it goes.

- John

Cendy
2004.07.22

Oral English

Q

my oral english is so pool . i want to ask how can we improve it? thank you!

A

Hi, Cendy,It is good that you practice writing English here. For the answer to your question, look at the next message.

- John

sue
2004.07.21

Remember New Words

Q

i found it difficult to remember the words,how can i do?thank you!

A

Hi, Sue,I assume you were talking about learning new words. You should write two new sentences with each new word that you are trying to learn. Also, look at my advice on how to increase your vocabulary.

- John

Gloria
2004.07.20

Gloria

Q

I an a chinese student.One day a foreign friend from Africa told me Gloria as a given name has special bad meanings.But he didn't let me know.Do you know something about it.thank you.Regards

A

Hi, Gloria,I don't know of any bad meaning associated with your name. In fact I remember a friend with that name.

- John

Amalie
2004.07.20

Communicating in English

Q

D0ear John:Thank you for your work to help us!I really love english and want to communicate with english native people,but in my hometown that seems impossible!So I very sad,I want to make friends but we can onlly make one way :E_mail to change imformation,no sounds!I don't know which is best suitway to improve me oral english and know more about their culture。。。I am waiting for your reply!

A

Hi, Amalie,Yes, it is a challenge. Maybe some day we will have a two-way voice BBS, but meanwhile, you can practice by just reading our stories alound.

- John

Yu Jue
2004.07.20

For His Part

Q

Mr John Doe,[Moussa Arafat, for his part, said he was prepared to fight all "potential enemies" and would ignore the protests.] I don't understand 'for his part', could you explain it, please?

A

Hi, Yu Jue,In this case, the writer had probably just written about how someone else responded to the protests. It is similar to (㎡) in Chinese.

- John

Yu Jue
2004.07.20

Take Exception

Q

Mr John Doe,[The militants have taken violent exception to the appointment of Moussa Arafat as security chief.] I don't understand "have taken violent", could you explain it, please?

A

Hi, Yu Jue,Good question! The phrase is actually "take exception". The adjective "violent" was used to describe the way that the militants expressed their objection. So here are a couple of examples:1. He took exception to her comment and started yelling.2. He took violent exception to the election of the former war criminal by bombing his car.

- John

Yu Jue
2004.07.19

Preoccupied

Q

Mr John Doe, I read a phrase "You seem completely preoccupied by money." When you have a minute, would you like giving me more examples in using "preoccupied", please?

A

Hi, Yu Jue,Here are some examples of using "preoccupied" -1. He was too preoccupied with talking to his girlfriend and forgot about going to class.2. She was so preoccupied that she walked right into a tree.

- John

orange
2004.07.18

Email Reply

Q

John Doe 老师我给您发了很多邮件,我希望可以发到我的邮箱,基本上我每天都会看你们这个网站,但是时间比较短.我的邮箱:*****.comThank you

A

Hi, Orange,Sorry, no can do!

- John

orange
2004.07.18

First Step of Learning

Q

John Doe 老师我现在的工作,英语对于我来说真的是非常的重要.我曾下了狠心每天6:00起床记单词,但我不能持之以恒,我的语法很差也音标也读不准,而且怎么也不愿开口读,我的工作是决对少不了要用英语的如果我再这样下去我都不知该如何是好了?请您一定要帮助我！

A

Hi, Orange,I believe the first step of learning another language is to listen to it. How much do you listen to English?

- John

orange
2004.07.18

Speak Chinese?

Q

John Doe 老师:请问您会说中文吗?

A

What do you think?

- John

orange
2004.07.18

Translation

Q

John Doe 老师:我给您发过很多次信了.我想问一下您多久看一次邮件我们发给您的这些问题?你大概什么时候可以看到或是回复?我在工作上经常遇到需要中译成英的短句或是文章,但又找不到人可以帮我翻译,如果再遇到这些你可能帮助我翻译吗?

A

Hi, Orange,Sorry, I am here to help you learn English, not to do your work for you!

- John

orange
2004.07.18

Where John is From

Q

John Doe 老师:请问你是美国人吗？

A

Hi, Orange,Good guess, but not quite!

- John

orange
2004.07.18

Answer

Q

John Doe 老师：您可不可以发邮件给我们回复呢?我上次问您的问题您还没有回复给我,而且要这样找问题很麻烦我现在也急于想学英语.如果以发邮件的方式我想向您提问应该会快些?

A

Hi, Orange,I am so sorry for the delay in my reply. I have been trying to get more material for everyone here to practice English. Do you notice what is new?

Sorry, I can only answer questions here. I will try to be prompt.

- John

orange
2004.07.18

You Must Open Your Mouth

Q

John Doe:您好!我一直非常的喜欢英语,从我开始接触英语起我就感觉我有这方面的天赋，但是我又是一个很难开口读的人.我连最基本的都不敢读,因为我的口语很差,请您定要帮助我!

A

Hi, Orange,You must open your mouth! That is the only way to improve! Do you read along aloud when you listen to the stories we have here?

- John

sijing
2004.07.17

Oral English

Q

Dear JohnI'm a Grade10 student,I love English very much.and also read a lot of books.but I don't know how to speak English flutely?

A

Hi, sijing,Then you will need to speak in English more often. If you don't have the opportunity, then at least you should read story books aloud. Practice with our stories here will be one good way to do that.

- John

MS he
2004.07.16

How to Learn English Well

Q

how to learn english well?

A

Practice more!

- John

Shine
2004.07.16

How to say...

Q

“科代表”用英语怎么说

A

Hi, Shine,In general, 代表 would be translated as representative. But in your case, this title may imply something different since the person may be the best in the subject, and hence may be translated as a "delegate".

- John

Rocky
2004.07.16

Memorizing Words

Q

I can't recite words efficiently.What shall I do?

A

Hi, Rocky,You are probably asking about memorizing words as in learning new vocabulary. Are you learning them in context? And are you using them to write sentences in order to practice?

- John

Pinky
2004.07.14

Father of Eight

Q

Mr John Doe, "The Philippine hostage,truck driver Mr de la Cruz, a 46-year-old father of eight was kidnapped by militants in Baghdad on 7 July". Does the phrase "a 46-year-old father of eight" mean the father has eight children? I'm awaiting your favourable reply, thank you.

A

Hi, Pinky,Yes, you are right. "Father of eight" means that he has eight children.

- John

Sandy Ng
2004.07.14

Time

Q

Mr John Doe, when you have a minute, would you mind telling me how to say "Wednesday, 14 July, 2004, 10:16 GMT 11:16 UK"? I mean colloquial saying. The answer with mp3 will be highly appreciated.

dear John: There are 10 years for me to study english,but my level is very poor now,so I have not self-confidence about studing english,I tried much way(improving my english)but I felt there was not a feat way for me(may be I have not willpower),but I want to improve my levle very much because I love english deeply,so could you give me some advices.THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!YOURSbacteria(a pained younker)2004/07/14

A

Hi, Bacteria,In the past six months what have you done to improve your English?

In the movie Shrek, there is a scene talking about Donkey sees Shrek's house the first time and says : "Uh, look at that. Who would wanna live in a place like that?"Then Shrek answers unhappily: "That would be my home."

I would like to ask why Donkey and Shrek use 'would'. Why doesn't Shrek just say "it is my home"?

Thanks for your help!

A

Hi, Henry,Yes, he could have said "it is my home", but since the comment (made in the form of a rhetorical question) was "who would", he answered it in the same form. Actually, usually someone would answer "that would be me".

- John

12
2004.07.12

Huh?

Q

ぐ種 camp

A

Are you trying to find out the meaning of the word "camp"? Have you tried a dictionary?

- John

peak
2004.07.12

CET4

Q

你好！我很想提高我的英语听力水平，但不知具体怎样训练提高，我想考英语四级。

A

Hi, Peak,Have you tried listening to our stories and mini-stories?

- John

wangyugong
2004.07.11

How to improve oral English

Q

how do I improve my oral English

A

Hi, WangYuGong,Did you try the ideas I gave the others?

- John

mermaid
2004.07.11

Instant Message

Q

I can "talk" with people who from overseas fluently on msn message,but in daily life,i just can not communicate with them as fluently as i did on msn,,why is that?

A

Hi, Mermaid,Do you mean when you try to communicate verbally, you have difficulties?

- John

Tracy
2004.07.10

Basket Case

Q

Hi Mr John. I'm tracy. There's a phrase occured to me when I read the newspaper, can you help me to explain it? It's this:quite a basket case Thank you!

A

Hi,Tracy,A "basket case" is a slang used to describe a person, a situation, or something that is all "messed up". For example: 1. After his girlfriend left him, he was a basket case! He didn't go to work; he was drunk all day, and slept the rest of the time.2. We lost that big account and other clients are also questioning our ability. This is a basket case!

- John

Double
2004.07.09

Be

Q

Hello! Teacher Jhon, I'm very happy to receive you answer,because tomorrow I must go to school,so I don't know when will you back the answer,have fixed time?If have please tell me,thank you! Last I ask you "When I can use the 'be'" the "be" is means "am、is、are" not only "be"for example:他去上学 翻译：1、He is go to school 2、He go to school This two sentenceslooks like all right.Please tell the answer and when I can use the "am、is、are" ？Bye-bye!

A

Hi, Double,In your examples, here are the correct way to say them:1. He is going to school.2. He goes to school.

Here are a few examples:1. I am cold. I am John. I am. (是, 现在是)2. I am going. I am waiting. I am walking. (正在)3. I go to school. I always wait for you. I walk to school. (有'通常'的含意)

what time use past participle or pesent participle,e.g.has got, or had got what is difference of them.

A

Hi, Elaine,Here are some examples to clarify:

1. Yesterday, he came even after I had told him not to.2. After I had done it many times, I finally realized that she was supposed to do it.
3. If I had known, I would not have made the mistake.4. I have just finished my homework. We can go play now!
5. She has just arrived. You can ask her.6. Don't change your mind if you have already decided.

Hence the past perfect is usually used in the following case: - something happened in the past- you need to talk about something that had happened already before a past event.

For example, in example 1 - he came (this happened in the past)
- I had told him not to come before he came.So I use "had told him" to show that it was done before he came.

In present perfect, things are happening in the present, and the present perfect is used to show that it has just happened, or has already happened. For example, in example 4: the second part of the sentence is in the present - "we can go play now". So it is happening now, and the first part of the sentence shows that it has just happened - "I have just finished my homework".

Does this help? If it is still not clear, give me some sentences in which you are not sure what to use.

Hello!Dear John, I ask question twice,in this question I want to write it in English,if has some wrongs,please beg you's pardon,thank you! I often write english sentences,I don't knowif I use the "be" verb,sometimes I use the "be" verb in the senteces,it's wrong,but sometimes I don't use,it's wrong too.So I don't when I can use the "be" verb.Please help me and I hope you can write back quickly,because I must go to school right now,so I no time to search the internet.Thank you!

A

Hi, Double,I am glad that you are writing in English. One must practice if one wants to learn. It is okay to make mistakes here.

Here are some examples of using "be":1. Be a good boy and pick up your room! Be responsible! Be on time!2. I will be late. The movie will be over. She will be upset.3. It is hard to be good. It is not easy to be on time. It is wrong to be rude.4. He will be fired from his job. She will be awarded for her achievement. They will be praised for their bravery.

Hi,Mr Jone. I'm tracy. It's very kind of you replying to my questions. I'm quite willing to have a chance to chat with you in English lively. I can have the opportunity, can't I? If that's really true, then when will it come? I'm pretty expect for that.

A

Hi, Tracy,Yes, we hope to be able to have a chatroom once a week for English learners to chat. I hope that it will be available in August. But since a lot of people would like to chat, we will need to set some requirements for participants. They will be posted on this website.

Hi, ohoh,Here is my suggestion: read a short story every week. Have a special notebook to write down words and phrases that you don't know - or that are useful. Review your notebook everyday. Write two sentences from each of the words/phrases that you have written down that week. Do the above for 6 months and tell me if you are making any progress.